FTC Settlement Shuts Down Fraudulent Business Opportunity Scheme, Imposes Lifetime Ban on Defendants

In a major step towards holding fraudulent businesses accountable, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has reached a settlement with Charles Joseph Garis, Jr., and his company, Business Revolution Group (“BRG”), over their involvement in the deceptive “Blueprint to Wealth” business opportunity scheme. This action follows a lawsuit filed by the FTC in December 2023, which revealed how Garis and his company targeted consumers seeking to start their own businesses, only to deceive them with promises of high returns that ultimately led to financial loss. The Blueprint to Wealth scheme, which operated under several names, misled consumers by promising them turnkey online businesses that would generate substantial income with minimal effort. In reality, these “businesses” existed solely to recruit more people into the program, making money only through new memberships. Consumers were charged substantial fees—ranging from $3,000 to $21,000, plus additional administrative costs—for access to a system that offered no real value.